Automobile shaft-coupling.



J. N. BASHAW.

AUTOMOBILE SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION PILEDIEB. 18, 1911. 1,022,999.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

rhvmmunnmu II M H "Til JOHN N. BASHAW, or LAKE GENEVA, .w IsooNsm.

AUTOMOBILE; SHAFT-COUPLII NG.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented A t; 1912.

Application filed February 18, 1911. Serial No. 609,492. I

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, JOHN N. BASHAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at LakeGeneva, in the county of Vvalworth and State ofTisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomobileShaft-Couplings, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention .rela-testo a universal coupling or ball-chuck joint forconnecting the .ftransmission shaft of an automobile drive gearing withthe driven shaftof the gearing, whereby driving motion is imparted fromthe motor to the rear axle.

As is well known, the transmission shaft of an automobile drive gearingis mounted to turn in fixed bearings, and in a substantially horizontalposition, upon the frame or chassis of the vehicle, while the drivenshaft runs at an angle to the transmission shaft, is coupled at itsforward end thereto, and at its rear end is in gear with the rear axle,and journaled in a gear casing carried by the axle and flexiblyconnected therewith to the frame by suspension springs. As the drivenshaft in service frequently'runs at a very high speed and at the sametime rises and.

falls with the rearaxle and is further subjected to 'both longitudinaland lateral deflections from the vibrations of the vehicle, it isevident that the coupling joint is subjected to considerable strain fromthe relative motions of the parts, as well as wear and tear fromfriction.

So far as I am aware, no joint for the purpose has heretofore beendevised which will permit the driven shaft to have the necessary freedomof universal motion without cramping or binding, and which will at thesame. time take up all slack or lost motion between the parts, due towear or other causes.

It is the object of my invention to provide a coupling which willeffectually perform all these functions and overcome the objections toprior devices of its kind.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a .portion of an automobile chassis showing the application ofthe invention.

view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation of theassembled members of the joint, with portions broken away. Fig.- 3 is avertical transverse sec-' tion through the assembled members of thejoint. Fig. 4' is a plan view of'the'ball member of the-joint. Fig. 5.isa perspective View of the socket member of the joint.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the chassis or frame of anautomobile; 2, the motor; 3, the driving shaft; 4, the transmissionshaft; 5, the inclined driven shaft; 6,

the rear axle in gear with and driven from said driven shaft; 7, thegear casing mounted on said axle and in which the rear end of the drivenshaft is journaled; and 8, one of the suspension springs flexiblyconnecting the chassis with the rear axle and driven shaft for relativecushioning movements in avertical plane.

The coupling comprises a ball member 9 and a socket member 10. The ballmember consists of a head composed in part of a body 11 of generallyspherical form and provided at its outer or rear side with a neck 12,integrally connecting the head with a flange or collar 13. Extendingfrom one side'of the center of the rear face of this flange is' a fixedclamping plate 14, which is adapted for cooperation with a removable andadjustable clamping plate 15, said plates having their inner facesrecessed to provide an angular socket for the reception of the angularend 5" of the shaft 5. Bolts 16 pass-through the ends of these clampingplates and are provided with nuts 17, whereby the ball member may befirmly clamped to the shaft. shaft 5 to be easily coupled and uncoupledThis construction allows the.

in assembling the' parts or disassembling them for repairs or otherpurposes, and also permits of a degree of longitudinal adjustment of theball member on the angular end of the shaft to compensate for any slightvariation from the normal which may exist in the length of the shaft. 7

The body or head 11 is formed at equidistant points with grooves 18extending in the vdirection of length of the socket member, four of suchooves bein preferably employed arrange at interva s of ninety.

degrees aboutthe head. These grooves intersect one another at the outerend of the head, andextend to the base of the neck. Each groove flaresfrom its center toward its ends and is provided with slightly beveled orundercut side walls 19. As a result of this construction, the body 11 isgiven a generally spherical form as before ,de scribed, while formedthereon are lugs 20 equal in number to and arranged between the grooves,the walls19 being common to .said lugs and grooves. It will be observedshaft 4, said neck being providedwith one or more set screwsr23 toclampit to said shaft. In the shell isformed a socket 24 to receivev theheadof theball member, said socket being cup-shaped, that is to say,having its outer'portion cylindrical or substantially so fromitsytransverse center to its open end and its inner portion terminatingin a rounded or hemispherical wall-25 concentric with the axis of thesocket and the center of rotation of the shaft 4. On the interior of thesocket is arranged a series of ribs 26 equal in number to the grooves 18and arran edto fit therein, which ribs extend the f ull length of thesocket and are straight along the outer half of the socket and curved atthe inner end of thesocket to conform to the curvature of the wall 25,at the center of which they intersect one another, as shown. Between,and by the formation of, these ribs pockets or cavities 27 are-providedin which fit the lugs 20. The side walls of these ribs are straight andparallel and spaced a distance somewhat less than the contractedport-ions of the walls of the grooves 18, whereby through the flaringformation of said grooves, the head is permitted to swing laterally inthe socket on the contracted portions of the walls as an axis, insuringease of motion without either undue looseness or binding of the parts.It will be observed that the neck or contracted portion of the headextends beyond the socket and that the curved portions of the ribsextend across the intersecting portions of the grooves, whereby freevertical pivotal motion of the head is also secured while a maximumdegree of engagement between the head and socket is maintained.

It will be observed that the axis of the body 11 of the head is setslightly eccentric to the centerline of the shaft 5 and coincident withthe center line of the shaft 4, while the axis of the lugs 20, or centerof the incomplete circle formed thereby, is set slightly eccentric tothe axis of the body 11 and center line of the shaft 4 but coincldentwith the center line of the shaft 5. Hence when the vehicle is runningeasily along a level road or street or is li htly loaded, and there iscomparatively ittle relative vertical play of and between the shafts 4and 5, or depression of the springs 8, and the shaft 5 extends at itsgreatest angle to the shaft 4, a minimum degree of.

contact of the surfaces of the lugs between the ribs to lock thecoupling members for rotation in unison will be presented for thereduction of friction. As, however, the lugs.- interlock with both thestraight and curved portions of the ribs, a sufficient areaofinterengaging surfaces is provided to obviate liability of any of theparts breaking under strain. When, on the other hand, the vehicle isheavily loaded and the springs8 depressed to a greater degree, or theshaft 5 vibrates verticall to some considerable-ex.' I i tent in "the,trave of the vehicle over rough surfaces, any relative movement ofthesaid into longitudinal alinement will mug-5th [I axis of the lugs to bebrought 'to a corres 'sponding degree closer to the axis" of the socket,whereby the engaging area of their BEr interlocking surfaces .will. beincreased Ito. 1 adapt them to withstand the additional i1nposedstrains. a

I have foundin practice that by slightly beveling or undercutting thesidewalls of the grooves 18 a reduction of friction between said wallsand the'ribs 26 is secured, particularly when the parts of't-he couplingare subjected to lateral jolts and jars. In order further to reduce thisfriction, reduce and take up wear, absorb such shocks or jars andprevent rattling, I provide the walls'19 of the grooves 18 at theircontracted points with compressed cushioning springs 28 seated insockets in said walls 19 and bearing against the sides of the ribs 26,which al ways maintain a perfect contact between the engaging surfaces.These springs also take up the lateral thrusts of the shaft from theendwise shifting of the axle 6. I also provide at the center of thecurved wall of the socket 22 a recess 29 in-which is seated a compressedcoiled cushionin spring 30 which bears against the roun edouterend ofthe body 11 and absorbs the relative endwise motions of the shafts,reducing the friction and liability of damage to the coupling whichwould otherwise ensue.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that my inventionprovides a coupling for the urpose outlined which is not only simple,urable and inexpensive, but also adapted to work easily and smoothly andadjust itself instantaneously to the various motions of the drivenshaft, whereby excess friction and strains are avoided; also that aconstant engagement between the locking elements of the" coupling ismain-- tained in all the movements of the driven shaft, all wear betweenthe working surfaces taken up, and rattling prevented.- 1

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a coupling for connecting a transshafts tand 5 tending to bring said shafts mission shaft with a flexiblymounted driven shaft running at an angle thereto,

. socket to the center of the hemispherical portion ofthe socket, andserving to present between them a plurality of pockets extends ing tothe point of intersection of the ribs, and a ball member including ahead having a substantially spherical body provided in its outer surfacewith aplurality of lugs of oval shape in plan and set eccentric to theaxis of the body and forming segments of a circle of a larger diameterthan the body and adapted to fit within said pockets of the socketmember, and grooves ,between said lugs to receive said radial ribs, saidgrooves intersecting one another at the outer portion of the head andbeing contracted at the center and thence gradually widened toward theirends. v

2. In a coupling for connecting a transmission shaft with a flexiblymounted driven shaft running at an angle thereto, a member having acup-shaped socket cylindrical at its open end and hemispherical at itsclosed end, said socket being provided at the center o f'itshemispherical end with an axial recess and being provided with lo'ngitudinal radial ribs curved at their inner ends tocorrespond to thecurvature ofsaid hemispherical end and intersecting each other at saidrecess, said ribs forming tapering pockets between them, a ball memberincluding a substantially spherical head inclosed in said sockets andprovided with lugs and intervening grooves respectively engaging saidpockets and receiving said ribs, said lugs being elliptical *in plan seteccentric to the axis of. the head, and forming segments of a circle' ofgreater diameter than the head, and said grooves being contracted midwayof their length and widened toward their opposite ends and having theirside walls formed with sockets, springs seated in the sockets in theside walls of the grooves and bearing against the sides of the ribs, anda spring seated in the axial recess in the socket member and bearingupon the head at the point of intersection of said grooves.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

,JOHN N. BASHAW. Witnesses:

F. J. TYRRELL, ALICE E. MARSHALL.

